Class 7 Civics
Chapter 1 – On Equality
Important Notes
India is a democratic country. In a country like India, equality is the soul of the nation. Equality influences India’s functioning in all aspects.
Though in many aspects India has equality in various aspects, in few areas there is improvement required.
Equal Right to Vote
Universal Adult Franchise is an important feature of democracy.
The concept of Universal Adult Franchise is based on the idea of political equality.
Every adult has one vote, irrespective of his/her caste or religion. No differences are made between rich and poor, educated and uneducated.
Example:
Kanta Devi is a domestic worker who lives in a slum. She went to cast her vote. When she was standing in line, she was excited to vote and was feeling happy that she is equal to the others because each of them has one vote and each of them has to be in the queue.
Forms of Inequality
Equality is not just Right to Vote. There are many people whose living and working conditions are far from equal.
Apart from being poor, people in India experience inequality in different ways.
Some of them are
• Caste system is one of the examples of inequalities present in our country. People in rural India experience it from a young age. Some urban Indians think that people have stopped believing in the concept of caste system which is not correct.
• Religion is another factor on the basis of which people discriminate and treat people unequally.
Examples:
(i) Joothan is an autobiography of famous dalit writer Omprakash Valmiki. His autobiography talks about his experiences of growing up as a Dalit boy. He was being treated unequally by his teachers and students. He was made to sweep the school while all other students were studying. One day, his father, who happened to be passing by, saw his son sweeping. He confronted the teachers and then walked away from the school holding Omprakash’s hand.
(ii) In an incident, an Ansari couple wanted to rent a flat. Many people refused to rent them a flat because of their different religion. They were also the exploited people.
Recognising Dignity
The caste, religion, class background and gender are often the things that determine why some people are treated unequally. Treating people unequally hurts their dignity.
Equality in Indian Democracy
The Constitution of India considers every person as equal. Equality in Indian democracy is ensured by recognising each and every individual in the country as equal, no matter to which caste, religion, tribe, educational and economic background the individual belongs.
Earlier, no law existed to protect people from discrimination and ill-treatment. Now, there are several laws that work to see that people are treated with dignity and as equals.
By the provisions, the Constitution includes
• Every person is equal before the law.
• No person can be discriminated on basis of their religion, race, caste, place of birth, etc.
• Every person has permission to use all public places (playgrounds, hotels, shops etc).
• Abolition of untouchability.
Government Initiatives
Government has made efforts to implement equality through laws and also by implementing programmes and schemes to help disadvantaged communities. Various schemes have been launched to improve lives of individuals treated unequally and to provide opportunities for a better future.
Mid-day Meal Scheme was introduced in government elementary schools in order to provide children with cooked lunch. In 2001, in India, Tamil Nadu was the first state to introduce this scheme. This resulted in increase in enrolment and regularity of student's attendance in schools.
Role of People in Establishing Equality
Inspite of government programmes and schemes, incidents showing people treated unequally can still be observed.
This is because attitudes change very slowly. Even though persons are aware that discrimination is against the law, they continue to treat people unequally on the basis of their caste, religion, disability, economic status and because they are women.
Government of India has a program “Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan” or Accessible India Campaign, which addresses the inequality on the basis of disabilities.
Total equality can only be established when people begin to believe that no one is inferior, and that every person deserves to be treated with dignity. Establishing equality in a democratic society is a continuous struggle in which individuals and communities both need to contribute.
Inequality in Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s words
“It is disgraceful to live at the cost of one's self-respect. Self-respect is the most vital factor in life. Without it, man is a cipher. To live worthily with self-respect, one has to overcome difficulties. It is out of hard and ceaseless struggle alone that one derives strength, confidence and recognition.”
“Man is mortal. Everyone has to die some day or the other. But one must resolve to lay down one's life in enriching the noble ideals of self-respect and in bettering one's human life... Nothing is more disgraceful for a brave man than to live life devoid of self-respect.”
Issues of Equality in Other Democracies
There are many democratic countries around the world which are struggling with the issue of equality. In the United States of America, where African-Americans talk about the inequality faced by their ancestors.
Rosa Parks (1913–2005) was an African–American woman. Tired from a long day at work she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man on 1st December 1955. Her refusal that day started a huge agitation against the unequal ways in which African–Americans were treated and which came to be known as the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, religion or national origin. It also stated that all schools would be open to African–American children and that they would no longer have to attend separate schools specially set up for them.
Excerpt from Article 15 of the Indian Constitution
Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
(1) The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.
(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to –
(a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment;
or
(b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.
Challenge of Democracy
No country can be described as being completely democratic. There are always communities and individuals trying to expand the idea of democracy and push for a greater recognition of equality on existing as well as new issues. Central to this is the struggle for the recognition of all persons as equal and for their dignity to be maintained.
Key Terms
Civil Rights Act of 1964: An act which prohibited discrimination in USA on the basis of race, religion or national origin.
Civil Rights Movement: A movement that began in USA in 1950s in which African–American people demanded equal rights and an end to racial discrimination.
Constitution: It is a body of fundamental principles which every state has to follow.
Dalits: It means 'broken' and is used to address so-called lower castes.
Democracy: It is a system of government in which eligible citizens may participate equally by voting for their representatives.
Dignity: It is the quality of being worthy of honour or respect.
Equality: It is the quality or state of being equal i.e., having the same rights, social status, etc.
Universal Adult Franchise: It states that every adult, rich or poor irrespective of their religion; caste, education, colour, race, economic conditions is free to vote. It is based on the concept of equality.
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